switching to the regimen after three accutane courses

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I'm a 21 year old male from Scotland, and figured I'd try logging my progress with the regimen. I'm from the UK so I can't afford to get acne.org's branded kit, so I've put together my own which I'll link at the end of the post for anyone curious. I've tried three courses of accutane in the last five years and it worked wonders on my skin - at least while I was taking it. Usually around 4-6 months after taking accutane it'd slowly creep back again until it was to a point I needed to visit a GP. They'd put me on the usual cycle of antibiotics and I think I've tried just about all of them by now, each with little to no effect. After that, they'd prescribe accutane and I'd be happy to be acne free for the course of it and the few months that followed. I really don't want to keep repeating the cycle, however, as I do feel accutane, despite working miracles, does take a toll on my physical and mental wellbeing while I'm on it. That being said about accutane, I don't regret using it, and my acne has never got as bad as it was before I took it. It's currently moderate on my face, with a spot forming now and again on my chest. Before accutane, however, I had cystic acne on my back, shoulders, and chest, which has left me scarred. The reason I'm hopeful regarding the regimen is that despite being on every scrub, cream, and antibiotic, my Doctor never prescribed anything containing benzoyl peroxide. I'm using a 10% BP cream since it's the only one available here and hoping it's not too harsh on my skin. If anyone has tips/tricks, recommendations, or anything to comment, please feel free.

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I've been using about two to three pea-sized drops spread across my face before bed each night and then moisturizing in the morning. After two weeks my skin is pretty much clear. My face has no active acne, just red marks from the acne when I began the regimen. I get an occasional spot under the hair on top of my head sometimes, but they're not visible, so I'm not too concerned.

I wasn't expecting these results so quickly, if at all, but it seems to be doing the trick! It perplexes me that my GP didn't prescribe me a BP topical cream sooner (and before Accutane) and that it's such an obscure treatment in the UK. It's pretty much impossible to find in-store, so I had to purchase mine online. I don't know if it would have been as effective before Accutane, as I had severe acne covering my face, back, and chest, but it would certainly have been better than the plethora of antibiotics and topical creams that had no effect.

As for side effects, my skin has been very dry, and I might start moisturising 15 minutes after applying the BP at night as Dan suggests, but as long as I apply some in the morning it isn't usually too bad. It is manageable, though, and I think most people who use this forum who are considering using BP/Accutane/other treatments that result in dry skin would agree it's a small price to pay to have clear skin, which is far more debilitating.

I'll update this again in another few weeks, but so far it's proving very promising.

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I'm so happy for you that you're seeing some results already! Moisturize as often as needed to keep skin in balance (it's the one step you can do more than twice a day!), and a few drops of jojoba oil can work wonders too when your skin is adjusting to the BP treatment.

Wow, Accutane is a last resort in the US after all other treatment options have been exhausted, and BP is available in most drug stores or from the derm.

If you find that 10% is too drying and irritating, consider switching to a 5%, or even a 2.5% which is what Dan recommends and most Regimen users opt for. Way gentler and just as effective as stronger formulas at keeping p.acnes in check.

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I too live in the UK, and found it tricky to get a hold of BP. Back when the Benzoyl Peroxide was easily available I used Quinoderm 5% and that completely rid me of my acne (following Dan's regimen). However when it was discontinued due to production issues, I switched to Panoxyl 10..It didn't have the same effect, and found the high strength irritating to my skin and made matters worse. I've found that most Boots and Superdrugs in the UK have a BP called Acnecide gel and it comes in a 5% strength and it's awesome. So if you're ever looking for something a little milder yet powerful, I highly recommend Acnecide gel. Wish you well on your journey to clear skin!

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I'm so happy for you that you're seeing some results already! Moisturize as often as needed to keep skin in balance (it's the one step you can do more than twice a day!), and a few drops of jojoba oil can work wonders too when your skin is adjusting to the BP treatment.

Wow, Accutane is a last resort in the US after all other treatment options have been exhausted, and BP is available in most drug stores or from the derm.

If you find that 10% is too drying and irritating, consider switching to a 5%, or even a 2.5% which is what Dan recommends and most Regimen users opt for. Way gentler and just as effective as stronger formulas at keeping p.acnes in check.

Good luck and best wishes!

1

Thank you for the advice! I'll look into the jojoba oil. Accutane is last resort here too, though, it's just that I was prescribed what felt like every existing acne treatment besides BP, which seems to be a relatively obscure acne treatment for some reason over here.

On 10/29/2016 at 1:40 PM, Mandykins24 said:

Hiya,

I too live in the UK, and found it tricky to get a hold of BP. Back when the Benzoyl Peroxide was easily available I used Quinoderm 5% and that completely rid me of my acne (following Dan's regimen). However when it was discontinued due to production issues, I switched to Panoxyl 10..It didn't have the same effect, and found the high strength irritating to my skin and made matters worse. I've found that most Boots and Superdrugs in the UK have a BP called Acnecide gel and it comes in a 5% strength and it's awesome. So if you're ever looking for something a little milder yet powerful, I highly recommend Acnecide gel. Wish you well on your journey to clear skin!

Thanks very much for the alternative. My skin seems to be coping okay, but I won't turn a gentler solution down so I may give the 5% gel a go! Plus, it's nice to see there's a substitute in case of more production issues. I'm glad you managed to find an alternative that worked for you - and good luck on your journey too!

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